Adolf Hitler as a boy When the general public hears the word “Nazi” they immediately think of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power as well as the swastika, however the uneducated are unaware of the ancient religious use of the swastika dating back to ancient Indian religions. We are all aware of how Hitler used this ancient symbol throughout his rise to power as well as his rampage throughout Europe.
According to Dakota State University, Adolf Hitler was born in Austria on April 20th 1889 to Alois Hitler and his mother Klara Pölzl. As a boy Hitler was almost obsessed with war -particularly with the War of 1870-1871 between the Germans and French. Entertainment for children was very different when he was a boy; however the game “Cowboys and Indians” was a popular pastime for him. Hitler’s childhood was not spent alone; he had two brothers of whom the youngest brother died at age six – he did not take it well. His brother’s grave was located in the cemetery next to their home and he often sat on the wall next to his brother’s grave staring at the stars. Moreover, as Hitler grew older, German nationalism became a major passion, thus adding to his passion against foreigners such as the Slavs as well as those of Jewish decent. Hitler’s service during World War I inflamed his hatred for foreigners even more (Hitler’s Rise to Power). According to a timeline provided by The University of South Florida, the year 1919 was a very financially costly year for Germany. Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was disarmed and forced to pay for the huge war costs of France and Britain. Furthermore, unemployed soldiers were a common sight. As a result several right-wing ideology groups formed, one of which was The German Worker’s Party. Hitler joined The German Worker’s Party in the year 1919 and was able to rise to party leadership in 1921 through his emotional and captivating speeches. Hitler then renamed the party to the National Socialist German Worker’s Party, or the Nazi Party for short. The Nazi Party promoted German pride as well as anti-Semitism, views of an Aryan “master race”, and dissatisfaction for the Treaty of Versailles (The Rise of the Nazi Party).
According to an article published by The History Channel, many of Hitler’s’ speeches credited to assisting him assume party leadership stated that unemployment, inflation, hunger and economic stagnation in postwar Germany would continue until a radical change was made in German life. His solutions, considered extreme by foreigners, required the expelling of all Jews as well as communists from Germany. Furthermore, Hitler and fellow party members staged the Beer Hall Putsch – a plan to take over the Bavarian government. Unfortunately for the Nazi party, the coup failed and Hitler was convicted of treason then sentenced to five years in prison. However Hitler spent less than one year behind bars.
He used that time to write his first volume of ‘Mein Kampf”. Hitler’s book was sometimes referred to as the bible of the Nazi Party and was given freely to newlywed German couples between 1933 and 1945 and sales of his autobiography made him a millionaire. In 1929, Germany fell into severe economic depression with more widespread unemployment. The Nazi Party seen the advantage to this situation and began publicly criticizing the government and thus began winning elections. In July 1932, the party captured 230 of the 608 Reichstag seats and Hitler was then appointed as the German chancellor. Shortly after his appointment, the Nazi government came to control every aspect of German life. Hitler also banned all other political parties in 1933. Coincidently enough the first concentration camp opened in Dachau, Germany, to house political prisoners. However, Dachau did not only imprison political enemies but also Jews, artists, intellectuals, Gypsies as well as the physically and mentally handicap and homosexuals. Moreover, during the early 1930s, Hitler ordered the Nazi Party to undo the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler argued that the treaty denied Germany adequate living space for its growing population. Hitler further argued that the treaty separated the German people from each other by creating satellite states such as Austria and Czechoslovakia, both states had German populations. Furthermore, from the mid to late 1930s, Hitler ignored the postwar international community’s orders and not only withdrew Germany from the League of Nations in 1933, but he also rebuilt the German war machine beyond what the Treaty of Versailles allowed for. Hitler also reoccupied the German Rhineland in 1936, annexed Austria in 1938 and invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939. At this point, Britain warned Hitler that if he moved any further it would be considered an act of war. Nevertheless Hitler invaded Poland in September of 1939 – France and Great Britain declared war on Germany at this time. As of 1941, Germany was fighting France, Great Britain, Russia and America as well as other smaller powers. The German war machine was fast and merciless with Nazi ideology at heart. By 1942 the Nazi Party had created the “Final Solution” in order to systematically murder every remaining Jew in Europe and eventually the rest of the world (Nazi Party).
According to an article published by The History Learning Site, in 1944, much of the Nazi Party began to realize that Hitler was wrong, and they were wrong – the undeniable coming loss of the war played a large part in their changing minds. Operation Valkyrie was a contingency plan that was to be set in motion should Hitler be killed or a major breakdown occurred in communication between Hitler and the High Command in Nazi Germany. If only the conspirators had been successful, the fall of the Nazi Party would have been just as swift as its rise to power. Unfortunately the plot failed and after hours of uncertainty, Hitler spoke to the German people on the radio confirming he was still alive. The failure of the operation led to many being arrested and tried for treason. The trials were fast and many were executed, the rest were sent to concentration camps (Operation Valkyrie).

Works Cited

Berzin, Alexander. "The Berzin Archives."The Nazi Connection with Shambhala and Tibet.N.p., May 2003. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.
"Holocaust History." Germany: Establishment of the Nazi Dictatorship. Holocaust
Encyclopedia, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.
"Nazi Party."History.A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.
Meier, David A. "Adolf Hitler's Rise to Power." Hitler's Rise to Power.N.p., 2000. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.
University of South Florida. "Holocaust Timeline: The Rise of the Nazi Party." Holocaust Timeline: The Rise of the Nazi Party. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, 2005.Web. 17 Apr. 2013.

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